Why do it? - hiding registrations in ad's.

[Deleted User]

Hi guys,

As above. I can kind of understand individuals obscuring the reg number in their ad listings, but some garages do it too, right? I've had to request a few lately for ads I've been enquiring about - for most I get a prompt, courteous reply (no reasoning for hiding it in the first place) with the number but I've just had one garage, a "one-man-band" by the looks of it, ask me (quite accusingly) why I wanted it?!

I want it to do my checks on, all legit, HPI/MOT etc.

Just seems a bit odd, have I missed something?

Thanks.

Tiddlywinks

To prevent cloning - say you're a criminal who wants to disguise a vehicle. You can go online, find a car that's the same make, model and colour, get the reg no and then make a plate for your own car.

Then ANPR will be recording the cloned/replacement plate.

That way criminals get to use the road networks without their movements being monitored.

The further away the original is then the less chance of them causing suspicion.

DoaM

That's often mentioned (cloning) but how often does it actually happen?

@slipd ... masking the reg in the ads is obviously doing what was originally intended - driving contact from potential buyers.

Strider590

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

To prevent cloning - say you're a criminal who wants to disguise a vehicle. You can go online, find a car that's the same make, model and colour, get the reg no and then make a plate for your own car.

Then ANPR will be recording the cloned/replacement plate.

That way criminals get to use the road networks without their movements being monitored.

Obsolutely.

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

The further away the original is then the less chance of them causing suspicion.

No, there is something of a sweet spot, far enough away to never cross paths, but close enough that the owner of the real plate will have trouble convincing the Police that it was not they committing a road traffic offence.

[Deleted User]

DoaM wrote: »

@slipd ... masking the reg in the ads is obviously doing what was originally intended - driving contact from potential buyers.

Ha, yes, but at the same time the potential (genuine) audience might start to think, "hmm, what's the seller trying to hide?"

With all the access to checks these days, nothing can stay hidden for long, can it?

I'm looking at it all too innocently, I appreciate that.

Thanks people.

facade

slipd wrote: »

Hi guys,

I want it to do my checks on, all legit, HPI/MOT etc.

.

Which is the reason they don't want you to have it. If you arrive fully versed in the MOT advisories, they are on the backfoot, whereas they might get a deposit out of you at the least, while you go away to check, then they won't be changing the not quite worn out rubbers as part of the sale.

Billy_Bullocks

facade wrote: »

Which is the reason they don't want you to have it. If you arrive fully versed in the MOT advisories, they are on the backfoot, whereas they might get a deposit out of you at the least, while you go away to check, then they won't be changing the not quite worn out rubbers as part of the sale.

But surely any smart person would do the checks before departing with their deposit.

Robisere

Have you ever seen a car transporter loaded with used cars? Nowadays, on Police advice, all reg. plates must be obscured or covered. The reason, as stated above in the first Reply by Tiddlywinks, to prevent cloning. There are also some used car outlets which are beginning to remove or cover reg. plates from stock vehicles.

A police officer friend tells me that the force would like all plates removed until the next owner buys and drives the car away. The routine: thieves tour sites looking at various cars in the model and colour of one they intend to steal. They note the reg. plate and steal the car, having made up a plate which is fixed to the original plate by sticky pads. This car may have more than one such plate, if the thieves have spotted more than one similar model. The car is then used in other criminal activity before being dumped and/or fired.

Quite often, the stolen car is taken in a burglary from owners who cannot be bothered to hide the keys, which are often left right by a door.

Billy_Bullocks

Robisere wrote: »

Have you ever seen a car transporter loaded with used cars? Nowadays, on Police advice, all reg. plates must be obscured or covered. The reason, as stated above in the first Reply by Tiddlywinks, to prevent cloning. There are also some used car outlets which are beginning to remove or cover reg. plates from stock vehicles.

A police officer friend tells me that the force would like all plates removed until the next owner buys and drives the car away. The routine: thieves tour sites looking at various cars in the model and colour of one they intend to steal. They note the reg. plate and steal the car, having made up a plate which is fixed to the original plate by sticky pads. This car may have more than one such plate, if the thieves have spotted more than one similar model. The car is then used in other criminal activity before being dumped and/or fired.

Quite often, the stolen car is taken in a burglary from owners who cannot be bothered to hide the keys, which are often left right by a door.

It's not a sensible thing to do, hiding the keys.

You ask the victim who was woken up in the early hours with a knife to his child's throat if he'd wished the keys had been by the front door.

Strider590

Billy_Bullocks wrote: »

It's not a sensible thing to do, hiding the keys.

You ask the victim who was woken up in the early hours with a knife to his child's throat if he'd wished the keys had been by the front door.

Come off it, car thieves are decent human beings, they would never venture into peoples bedrooms........ If they break in for the keys and the keys are nowhere to be found, they would just leave quietly, replacing any damaged door/window in the process.

Billy_Bullocks

Strider590 wrote: »

Come off it, car thieves are decent human beings, they would never venture into peoples bedrooms........ If they break in for the keys and the keys are nowhere to be found, they would just leave quietly, replacing any damaged door/window in the process.

I know, how dare the press print such lies about them.

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/killer-heart-fm-dj-tushar-186476